Site of a new women's shelter to begin construction in December (Gatehouse Community)
Staff writer Caroline Basile reports: A North Texas nonprofit will start construction in December on a new community shelter for women and children seeking refuge from homelessness or abuse in Grapevine.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate attended a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the Gatehouse Community, a privately-funded safe house located on a 61-acre lot near DFW Airport.
The facility will house up to 96 one- and two-bedroom apartments. The center will also offer counseling services for residents, said Gatehouse board president Lisa Rose. The center is an initiative of projectHandUp, a nonprofit founded by Rose.
Most women’s shelters only provide housing and assistance for up to 30 days, not enough time for people in need to get back on their feet, Rose said. The Gatehouse will offer programs to women and children for up to two and a half years.
Rose said there’s a strong need for additional services for victims of domestic violence in North Texas.
More than 12,000 incidents of family violence were reported in Tarrant County in 2011. The numbers were double in Dallas County for the same year, according to Texas Department of Public Safety records.
Michelle Cantrell said she escaped an abusive relationship with her son but went back because she had nowhere else to go after she ran out of resources.
Cantrell spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, saying it isn’t easy for women to just pack up their stuff and leave an abusive relationship.
“It’s not that simple,” she said. “A lot of women don’t have the resources.”
Deborah Lyons, executive director for The Gatehouse, said the need for a safe place for women with extensive resources is high.
“This is a place is for all women who need safe refuge, practical resources, a nurturing relationship in order to find their pathway to their god-given potential,” she said.
Mayor Price said she expects the spaces to fill quickly once the center opens.
“I hate to say it, but I bet they outgrow this space before they know it,” she said.
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